After 6+ months of searching I finally got my hands on this tape. Having got
it I wondered whether my high expectations (hey, this is a Ghibli film) would
be met. Thankfully I needn't have worried. This is not only a Ghibli film, it
is a good ghibli film, and anyone with any interest in anime rich in story and
character should see it if given the chance. There, review finished.

Not enough? Hm...There is no way a review can do justice to this anime. As
mentioned it is rich in character, atmosphere and possesses a keen sense of
observation and expression. The story seems simple, and the atmosphere decidedly
mundane and domestic, but will drag you in and involve you in the actions of
the characters. The setting is Japanese middle school, the main character is
Shizuku. She's young, intelligent, imaginative, intense and uncertain. Life is
getting more complex and like many her age she's not exactly sure how she fits into
it all. Then she meets a cat, riding on the train, and things go from there.

I'll spoil no more of the story than that. Simply put faith that Hayao Miyazaki
knows how to write a story that will draw you in, and Ghibli studio know how
to animate it. It has all the elements to form a moving story, yet so well
balanced and keenly observed that they seem realistic. And if this story
doesn't move you, even the slightest, then i'm sorry to inform you that you're
dead. Of course it must be said that this is an inspiring real world drama
with a fairly strong, but reserved, romantic subplot. So if you were hoping for
lots of action, alternate realities or gushy romanticism and will accept
nothing else then you might as well move on. The bottom line is I loved it,
and given the chance, I strongly recommend you give it a try. Mind you, since
Disney (Grrr) own the rights, but have a very slim chance of releasing it in
my lifetime, availability is not something that can be taken for granted. Even
good fansubs of this movie are suprisingly rare.

However to continue this pointless review I'll mention again that this is a
Ghibli animation. Thus the animation quality itself is more than sufficient
to support the story, character and atmosphere of the story. Admittedly if
you've seen the other ghibli films you'll see some familiar looking faces
here, but since the ghibli style is so strong and visually attractive this
is a minor problem. As mentioned the setting is fairly mundane, although
there are some moments of fantasy, so the `epic' ghibli style is somewhat
absent. On the other hand there is an amazing attention to detail, which
gives an amazing effect of depth. The effects, character animation
and design work is
excellent, with a wonderfully detailed view of an average Japanese family
which is doubly interesting for western fans. The music is great, and woven
into the story, and the Japanese voices are delightful.

Start off with this a solid and perceptive
review from THEM. They give it top marks and suggest
it as a cure for those with anime burnout. The only other one of my regular
sources that had a review was Lord Carnage and I
strongly suggest you don't read his
review as the synopsis
is perhaps a tad too complete. Although whether knowing the story spoils
the experience is open to debate. Still, he knows a good anime and the
comments (and 5 rampage rating (the maximum)) make it fairly clear that
he recommends this one.